Launcher for a toy aerial propeller



Feb. 19, 1957 F, K FORMls 2,781,753

LAUNCHER FOR A TOY AERIAL PROPELLER Filed Dec. 29, 1955 7 3 l' INVENTOR.FMJerakK'FmzS ATTD RN EYE r' g 2,781,753 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 LAUNCHERFOR A TOY AERIAL PROPELLER Frederick K. Formis, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Application December 29, 1953, Serial No. 400,902 1 Claim. (Cl. 124-16)This invention relates to toys, and in particular a toy of the flyingsaucer type in which a propeller mounted in a ring is discharged with aspinning action from the end of a handle with the handle held in onehand of an operator and actuated by the other hand.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a mechanical toy in whichmeans is provided for spinnning a propeller whereby the propeller may bedischarged with a spinning action.

Various types of toys, Screwdrivers, eggbeaters, and the like have beenformed and `operated with a twisted rod, however, in such devices thefollower or traveler is held between the thumb and forefnger of a handor in a handle and for use in spinning a propeller or the like it hasbeen found necessary to provide a completely enclosed handle with afollower positioned to travel on a twisted rod therein in which thefollower is actuated by rods slidably mounted in longitudinally disposedgrooves in the handle and in which the twisted rod actuates a dischaving teeth extended upwardly therefrom at one end of the handle. n

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates means for forminga handle for spinning a propeller or other projectile whereby thepropeller is positioned on a toothed-disc at the end of the handle andthe disc is rotated by drawing a traveler on a twisted rod toward theend of the handle opposite to that `on which the disc is positioned. A

The object o f this invention is,V therefore, to provide a housing for aspinning device wherein, instead of being held by a hand, a travelerpositioned -on a twisted rod in the handle is actuated by rods ingrooves inthe inner surface of the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an actuator, for spinninga propeller or other projectile in which the projectile is freelymounted on one end of the handle and leaves the mounting means when apredetermined speed is reached.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toy whereina spinning projectile is discharged from manually actuated rotatingmeans in a handle in which the device is of a simple and economicalconstruction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies an elongated tubular casing having oppositely disposed groovesin the inner surface thereof, a twisted shaft rotatably mounted in ahead in one end of the casing and positioned with the opposite endmounted in a bearing positioned in the casing, an internally threadedfollower or carrier mounted on the twisted rod, rods extended from aloop at one end of the casing, slidably mounted in the grooves in thecasing and connected to the traveler, and a disc having teeth extendedfrom a face thereof mounted on an end of the twisted rod extendedthrough the head of the casing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a projectile adapted to be launched by therotating elements of the handle of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the projectile.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the casing of this invention,a twisted rod mounted therein being shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the casing or handle shown inFig. 3 showing a projectile positioned on the disc at the upper end andalso showing the device with part of the handle broken away toillustrate the traveler therein, the traveler being shown in an intermediate position.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the casing taken on line 5--5 ofFig. 4, parts of the projectile being broken away.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view `of the casing showing the rodretaining grooves in the inner surface thereof, the parts being shown onan enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a detail showing a section taken on line 7--7 of Fig. 1showing the structure of the projectile.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section somewhat similar to that shown inFig. 3 illustrating a modification wherein the lower end of the casingis integral with the cylindrical wall thereof and the traveler actuatingrods are extended to facilitate assembling the handle.

Figure 9 is a cross section through the casing showing a modificationwherein the grooves of the casing are replaced with longitudinallypositioned ribs formed in the wall of the casing. v

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the improved toy of this invention includes acylindrical casing 10, a twisted ro'd or shaft 11 rotatably mounted inthe casing, a traveler 12 mounted to slide longitudinally in the casing,rods 13 and 14 connected to the traveler and having a loop 15 onextended ends thereof, a head 16 mounted at one end of the casing, aplug 17 mounted in the opposite end of the casing, and a disc 18 carriedby the end of a stem 19 extended from the twisted rod 11.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 the casing 10 is tubular and may becylindrical or of any other suitable shape whereby the traveler is heldto prevent rotation thereof and in the design shown in Figures 1 through6, the inner surface is provided with oppositely disposed grooves 20 and21 in which the'rods 13 and 14 are slidably mounted.

The head 16 is provided with a flange 22 that is secured to the end ofthe casing 10, as illustrated in Fig. 3 and, also as shown in thedrawing the head is provided with a bore through which the stem 19extends.

In the design shown in Fig. 3 the opposite end of the casing is closedwith the plug 17 that is provided with a ange 24 and the flange isprovided with openings 25 and 26 through which the rods 13 and 14extend. The rods 13 and 14 are formed from a continuous wire or strandof material and the VWire is bent midway of the length thereof to formthe loop 15 from which the wires or rods 13 and 14 extend. The loop isprovided with a tube 27 of resilient material to provide a friction gripand the extended ends of the rods are formed inwardly so that theyextend into openings 28 and 29 in the sides of the traveler 12. Thelower end of the traveler is provided with a bore 30 and the head at theopposite end is provided with a square opening through which the twistedportion of the rod 11 extends. The end of the traveler is provided witha small boss 32 providing a spacing element between the end of thetraveler and inner end of the head 16.

With the parts formed in this manner it will be noted that by drawingthe rods 13 and 14 outwardly by the loop 15 the traveler 12 follows thetwisted rod 11 whereby the rod with the disc 18 on the upper end isrotated.

The disc 13 is provided with a spacing hub 33 on one side and projectingteeth 34 on the other, the teeth34 being positioned to register withslots 35 in a propeller 36 that is positioned in a ring 37.

The plug 17 is providedwith a bearing 38 in which the end of the twistedrod 11 is rotatably mounted whereby the twisted rod is held at both endsof thehandle or casing.

The plug 17 is adapted to be secured in the end of the tubular casing10, particularly where the parts are formed of plastic, with cement or asuitable acid and, as shown in Fig. 4, the plug may be secured inposition with pins 39.

In the design shown in Fig. 8 a tubular or cylindrical casing 40,similar to the casing is provided with a plug 41 that .is integral withthe casing forming a closed end thereof and the end of the casing isprovided with openings 42 and 43 through which wires 44 and 45, similarto the wires 13 and 14, respectively, extend. The wires or rods 44andt45 are also provided with a loop 46 similar to the loop and the loopis covered with a tube 47 similar to the tube 27. The end 41 of thecasing 40 is provided with a bearing 48 that holds one end of a twistedrod 49, similar to the rod 11 and the opposite end of the rod isrotatably mounted in a head 56 similar to the head 16. The rod 49 isalso provided with a traveler 51 similar to the traveler 10, and a disc52 with teeth 53 extended upwardly therefrom, similar to the disc 18.The wires or rods 44 and 45 are positioned in longitudinally disposedgrooves 54 and 55, similar to the grooves 20 and 21 and with the ends ofthe rods on which the loop is provided extended beyond the end of thecasing the parts may be assembled by removing the head `5t) and slidingthe rods inwardly with the projecting ends'56 and 57 thereof eX- tendedbeyond the ends of the casing 40 whereby the ends are adapted to be bentinwardly to `extend into openings, such as the openings 28 and 29, inthe traveler. With the ends of the rods secured in this manner to thetraveler the rods with the traveler held thereby are drawn into thetubular casing, as shown. The head 50 may then be inserted in the end ofthe casing and the head may be secured in position by suitable means.

With a projectile, such as the propeller 36 positioned on the disc 52with the teeth 53 in the slots 35 the traveler 51 is drawn downwardly bythe loop 46 and rods 44 and 45, and with rotation of the travelerprevented by the rods 44 and 45 being positioned in the grooves 54 and55, the twisted rod 49 with the disc 52 on the extended end and thepropeller are rotated with the propeller spinning at high speed so thatit will take off from the disc 52.

Upon release of the loop 46 a spring 58 inthe casing 40 may return thetraveler to the stationary orV starting 4, position, as shown in Figure8. The action of the spring may also be reversed whereby the traveler 51is shown to a cocked position by the loop 46, and wherein the spring,when released, drives the traveler toward the spinningr or releasingposition.

In the design shown in Figure 9, a casing 60 is formed with inwardlypressed grooves 61 and 62, which provide ribs 63 and 64 on theinsideofthe casing, instead of the grooves, such as theV grooves 20 and21, anda traveler, such as the traveler 65, is provided with coactinggrooves 66 and 67 which prevent rotation of the traveler in relation tothe casing.

It will also be understood that the grooves or ribs may be formed byother suitable means. l

I t will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spiritof the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a toy, the combination which comprises a tubularv housing havingVlongitudinally positioned oppositely disposed grooves in the innersurface and a head in one end and a plug in the opposite end, said headand said plug each having a flange of equal circumference to saidhousing and engaging the open ends of said housing to retain said headand said plug outwardly of said housing, a bearing in said head and saidplug, a twisted rod positioned in the housing with each end of the rodrotatably mounted in one of said bearings, a disc having projectionsextended therefrom tixedly carried by an end of the rod extended fromone end of the housing, a traveler having oppositely disposed openingsin sides thereof and threadedly mounted to travel, on said twisted rod,a spring on said twisted rod circumjacent thereto and engaging saidtraveler to urge said traveler toward said head, a'loop extended fromthe end of the housing opposite to that from which the end of the rodon, which the diseis positioned extends, and rods extended from the loopinto the housing and having inwardly extended ends positioned in theopenings of the traveler, said rods being positioned in the grooves inthe inner surface of thehousing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 641,653Stump Jan. 16, 1900 1,133,235 Paprian Mar. 23, 1915 1,201,866 PickettOct. 17, 1916 1,618,856 Abrams n- Feb. 22, 1927 1,918,122 Naue July 1l,1933 were

